Inevitable
by yourneighborhoodhobo
Summary: "My Queen?" "You're going to be a professor at Texas Prairie University teaching the subject Intro to Psychology. Your schedule is in the mail," then a slight pause, "Welcome back, Claire." And a click as the connection was terminated. She lowered her hand and stretched, breathing in a gulp of fresh air. "Welcome back indeed." (Claire/Myrnin)(Slow Burn)


**Yikes, talk about a hiatus. It's been a while since I've been this motivated to write a fanfiction. Hopefully this goes well! Trying to get Vampire!Claire right, but I'm not sure if I nailed it yet... sorry for any mistakes. I'm completely responsible for those until I get a beta reader (that's if I even do get one).**

 **And also, spoiler alert! There's mentions of things in the later books.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Morganville Vampires. Rachel Caine is the lovely author of the series.**

* * *

 **Ch. I**

 _"Welcome to Morganville"_

* * *

For the last few centuries, it's all been just experiments and science, studying everything and anything about vampires. Amelie kept her carefully on a long leash, allowing her to explore… _interesting_ studies. Carefully because she was fully capable of standing up to the icy vampire but centuries of unexpected encounters produced a friendship that was reluctant at times yet stood the test of time. Even today, she was still baffled by what made vampires _tick._ She met many a great scientist, but none could really stand up to Myrnin, the deranged genius of a vampire. Technology today is a far cry from just less than what it was a hundred years ago; it's still something that makes her undead heart skip a beat. She still got shivers from the hours slaved over the Abacus.

In her wistfulness, she nearly trampled her fellow scientist. She balanced the box of broken engines, nearly half a ton, in one hand while the other instantly grabbed hold of Dr. Anderson's arm, enough to keep the other woman balanced but not enough to bruise. Papers glided haphazardly from her arms to the ground and slid all over, creating potentially dangerous and much unwanted mess. Her mind drifted to those cartoons of people slipping on banana peels, comparing it to paper on waxed floors.

"Oh, sorry about that, Dr. Anderson. Are you alright? I would offer a hand, but…" Her voice drifted into silence, letting the Doctor fill in the rest.

The woman in her mid-thirties, shook her head—her blonde hair was pulled back in messy morning ponytail, golden strands quickly making their escape—with a friendly smile and went to pick up the scattered documents. Blue eyes scanned hers and asked a silent question. A quirk of the eyebrows prompted her for an answer.

"I'm just feeling a bit of nostalgia, that's all. Our queen, however, demands us to keep at our studies." She rolled her eyes at the word, 'Queen'. Dr. Anderson was allowed to leave Morganville to continue her studies at MIT—though they both knew Amelie could call Anderson back to the town at any moment.

"I told you to call me Irene. Also, everyone knows you could disappear and nothing would really change. You're not the type to cause any trouble or attention, unlike a few others. Though Amelie would be pissed, and that doesn't spell well for anybody, dead or alive." Irene patted her on the shoulder and asked if she wanted to grab a few drinks tonight. The woman could down more alcohol than most of her coworkers.

"No, but thank you for the offer. I'm helping Pete out for tonight." Both ladies inwardly groaned. It was game night tonight. The bar was going to be packed full of sweaty, drunk humans and Pete, the bouncer, asked in a favor.

"Yikes, well good luck with that. I'll be staying late today if you need anything."

Anderson's little show of compassion stirred a warranted disgust towards the human scientist. She was well aware of how _little_ she cared for vampires, but didn't push the matter. Time would tell her fate. It always did. A rustle of papers and then Irene was gone, locking herself in her laboratory like many others.

Sighing, she continued through the building and dumped the engines on her desk, feeling particularly unmotivated to continue with her current project. The sun was dipping low in the sky and the faint roar of cars eased into a whisper while pedestrians, drunk or not, shouted along the streets. A sudden need to feel _alive_ again sparked in her. Nobody would complain if she left early. Plus, Pete definitely needed help keeping the humans in check. She glanced at the blueprints tacked onto the cork board and the prototypes collecting dust in the corner.

The door shut behind her and locked with a definite _click_. Embers sparked to life as the sunset reflected the dark glow in her eyes.

* * *

A brisk walk later and she was standing in front of Florey's Bar & Grill. She made her way to the bouncer and patted him on the back none too gently. Pete flinched and then relaxed, sighed resolutely.

"You got to stop doing that, man," he said as he waved another group of people into the building.

The vampire smiled and leaned back on the brick wall. "You should be used to it by now; at least I hoped you would. How many years had it been?"

Pete grumbled and spared her an exasperated glance before impatiently reminding a pack of college freshmen to stay away from the alcohol. She sent a few of them scurrying in with a glare when they spat out acid remarks. "Hey, let's try to keep the business running. They might be a pain, but it pays the bills," he said, sending her a smile and upturned eyebrow.

"I'm on edge, sorry. Got a craving to do something, and I don't mean the—" she flashed her fangs. A pale hand rubbed the back of her neck, brushing against a faint scar. "Maybe I should visit Morganville again and see how they're handling the disease."

"It's your choice, C. Though I would say otherwise. You might get infected with whatever's going around. Jesse was lucky enough to get out before it started to spread."

She scanned the line of people, thinking about her answer. The smell of excitement, fear, anticipation, and lust fanned at the glowing embers. She felt the need to _hunt_ suddenly take over her but just as quickly smothered it. There was no need for a repeat of the events last time she let loose. Hunting was built into her, a part of who she was when she turned into a vampire. She considered herself a relatively tame vampire, like Jesse. They both understood the consequences of pursuing their past. Morganville acted as a sanctuary for vampires and as an attempt—an experiment—to see if vampires and humans could get along. Amelie was _very_ proactive in corralling the remaining undead population into Texas. She and Myrnin helped build Amelie's idea into fruition.

A loud chorus of yells sounded behind them, interrupting her flow of thoughts. Pete moved to go inside and investigate, but she cut him off with a hand to the shoulder and a nod. He returned the gesture and concentrated on the line of impatient people.

A bottle smashed into the brick wall just above her head while foul smelling people screamed at the television screen incoherently. Apparently the team they were rooting for fumbled, causing this uproar. She sniffed and adopted a blank face, not completely trusting herself to remain as passive as she would like. A cursory glance at the bar showed a disgruntle Jesse trying to keep with the influx of customers.

"Need anything, Grey?"

Jesse wiped down the counter and slammed down two beers to the men at her right and began mixing another drink, "A Bloody Mary and a break from—"

Another glass was destroyed and the roar became deafening as several people knocked their bar stools to the floor.

"Fucking bastar—"one man began to say, but was cut off as she swiped the beer glass from his hands. The man looked confused and looked around for the culprit only to see a brown haired woman. "The fuck you want?"

"Calm down or get out." The threat cut through the rowdy atmosphere, bringing the temperature down several degrees. "You're not the only ones here."

The group of men turned to her and looked at each other before laughing. "Looks like she needs some—" a man said while roughly grabbing his crotch and moving towards her. The crowd around him laughed in agreement.

In her peripheral vision, Jesse stood still with her eyes trained on the men converging into a group. She shook her head lightly at Jesse and turned back to the testosterone mob. Her mood was worsening by the second but the _beast_ inside of her craved it, wanted more.

"Don't test me." It was said in a whisper, saturated with promises of pain and more. A smile revealed fangs, sliding down with a prick of pain and gleaming in the low lights, and her eyes burned a dark red. Warning them to back off before they started something they couldn't end.

The man who approached her swallowed heavily—Adam's apple bobbing—and the whole group silently and simultaneously moved back a step, a sheen of sweat across their foreheads. _Even the lowest of humans know when they're faced with a predator_ , she thought offhandedly.

She would've growled but it wasn't her place. "As long you understand. Carry on," she concluded with a smile—fangs firmly back in place—and took charge of a stool, setting down a pair of elbows as she chatted with the bartender and watched the night slow down.

The last group of customers left with the moon reigning in the sky.

"You haven't been that proactive since they finished building the Statue of Liberty," Jesse chuckled, wiping down glasses and getting ready to close shop.

She shrugged and began to stack the chairs away, letting the other staff mop the floors. As she went to flip the sign to CLOSED, a tune sang, sounding suspiciously like _Monster Mash_. She flipped off the chuckles behind her and opened her phone.

"Yes, my Queen?" she asked, a smile curving her lips.

A brief sigh and then a few mumbled words before Amelie's voice came back. "Come back as the new semester starts. The… illness is getting worse and the book still hasn't been found."

She paused, several questions and comments plucking at her mind. "Is Myrnin doing alright?"

"He's alive." Despite Amelie's comforting answer, she didn't pursue the matter any further. An angry Queen is one she didn't want to deal with.

"Alright, I'm coming. When does the semester start?"

"You should receive the tickets in the mail by tomorrow morning. I expect your arrival no later than 2 days from now." Amelie paused, talking to someone else before returning back to the conversation. "Be quick. Time is not on our side." Her voice lowered on the last sentence and then silence.

"So you're leaving then?" Pete asked as he walked from the back, slinging a towel over his shoulder.

"By tomorrow. The Queen summons me."

Jesse laughed and chucked a beer at Pete and her. "What better way to celebrate than with a few beers? I chilled them just for you."

"Aw, are you proposing to me, Jesse? Because this is the best wedding ring I've ever had the pleasure of receiving." He winked at the vampire bartender, touching his chest dramatically.

She stared at her beer can, feeling cool beads of condensation run across her fingers while Jesse and Pete happily slugged sarcasm at each other. A smile touched her lips, savoring the experiences here in Boston before she returned to Morganville. "Cheers."

All three of them popped open their cans and banged them together, chugging it all down in a few gulps. They talked all night, exploring their memories as the sun rose in the sky, leaving the moon behind.

* * *

She already called Irene about the change of plans and informed MIT about her absence. All in all, her departure was smooth, thanks to Amelie. Looking around her apartment, it wasn't anything to put in any magazine. The walls were coated in either neutrals or whiteboard paint, for whenever she had an urge to jot down an idea for later. A small kitchen with a matching dining table occupied one side of the room while a moderately sized T.V. and couch claimed the other. The hallway was lined with pictures and books she collected over her lifetime. The rest of her possessions were neatly tucked away in an unused house in Morganville, having company with dust and insects. The only rooms left were her bedroom and bathroom that combined into a laundry room.

A queen sized bed and even more books took up most of her bedroom. The table-mounted with stacks of paper that almost touched the ceiling-was shoved none too delicately into the corner with a lamp right next to it.

She didn't require a large living area that Amelie offered. Just enough for her.

She packed all her belongings, which was not much, and headed to the airport. Anything she didn't bring with her on the plane was shipped away to her destination. A last look at her apartment, one she lived in for a good few years, sent a pang of longing through her. _I'm not leaving you permanently, not just yet_ , she thought. Amelie only needed her help temporarily.

Only if she knew how wrong she was.

* * *

Two days later and she saw the ominous sign pass by her.

 **WELCOME TO MORGANVILLE. YOU'LL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE**.

"Home sweet home." Not that she was _not_ happy to be here, but the technology at MIT compared to TPU was severely _lacking_. The last time she saw Myrnin, he was still trying to use an Abacus for calculations. The thought of it gave her goosebumps.

She paid the taxi driver and waved off his attempts to help her with the luggage. The yellow car drove off as a black one, heavily tinted, came from the opposite end of the road. A woman in a finely pressed suit came out with an umbrella, giving her blessed shade from the sun. She gave the vampire a thankful smile and packed away her luggage and drove into the town.

"How is Morganville so far, Violet? It's been a few years, almost a decade, since I left." Violet, the vampire driving her back to town, was a respectable one. She followed orders and stayed out of trouble. She couldn't remember a time when she wasn't professional. Thick sunglasses hid her eyes while her black hair was bobbed. She was turned in her prime years.

Violet spared her a glance before turning her attention back on the road. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Though Oliver has arrived." The air suddenly turned thick with tension.

The name made her tongue dry with distaste, but she couldn't help but respect the vampire. Oliver was ruthless and demanding but he has his moments, give or take a few years. He survived this long, after all. "Interesting. Amelie? How has our Queen dealt with our Knight?"

She flashed her fangs in a smile, but just as quickly hid it. "Well enough. He's caused a disturbance, but it has since quieted down. We're here."

Violet pulled up next to one of the Founder's Houses, in all it's aged Victorian glory. The paint was peeling in places, but it looked well despite the physical damages.

By the time Violet had driven away, she had put all her luggage away-there were only 2 suitcases and backpack to carry. But before she could really settle in, her phone rang again.

"My Queen?"

"You're going to be a professor at Texas Prairie University teaching the subject Intro to Psychology. Your schedule is in the mail," then a slight pause, "Welcome back, Claire." And a click as the connection was terminated.

She lowered her hand and stretched, breathing in a gulp of fresh air. "Welcome back indeed."

* * *

As she looked over her new schedule as a professor, Claire headed to Common Grounds. She heard that Oliver was the boss and that was an opportunity she wasn't going to miss.

All she bothered to wear was a light hoodie pulled over her head and simple jeans with sneakers. A backpack with a laptop and other possessions were slung over her shoulder. She was old enough to feel slightly irritated in the sun.

A mile away and she could already smell the coffee from here. And all the humans. A bright flare of hunger made her clench her jaw tightly. Claire smashed down the need to feed and told herself to visit the hospital once she was done situating herself in the new university.

Claire heard a bell sing overhead and the smell of coffee intensified immediately. Packs of humans crowded the tables with a few vampires camping out in the shade of the shop. Most of them were students, she noticed, either sharing schedules and talking about classes or anxiously worrying about tuition and fees. Others were Morganville natives, here for the coffee. A girl clad in black and red armor in the style of Goth was stationed at the machines while Oliver manned the cash register.

They immediately made eye contact.

She smiled and slowly and deliberately made her way to him, the crowd parting for her unconsciously.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Claire?" Oliver's choice of clothing was surprisingly and starkly _not_ Oliver. The rainbow tie-dyed tee shirt with a long ponytail was almost enough to throw her off. Claire would have laughed if she her smile didn't already say enough. To top it off, he demeanor was suffocatingly _kind_.

"Mocha, please. I'm surprised to see you like this, Knight." She swiped her shiny new credit card and reached for the receipt as Oliver handed it her but not letting go. There was a hint of red in his dark eyes.

"Has our Queen sent for you or do you come of your own accord," Oliver stated, the soft tone wearing off.

"You know which one, Oliver." Claire gave him one last look and finally got her receipt. He lifted an eyebrow and turned his attention to the next customer, putting back his kind front.

Claire looked around for a place to sit and found one, thankfully, in the shade. According the paper, she had a class every Tuesday and Thursday, two times in the morning each day for two hours. She sighed tiredly, quietly wondering why Amelie put her in charge of Psychology of all subjects when her drink was called out.

"Mocha for Claire!" The Goth girl quickly and efficiently slid on a cap and handed it to her with a tired smile.

Claire smiled and thanked her, already turning away when she called her name again.

"Claire, was it? You know Oliver from somewhere? Cause I've never seen anyone talk to him like that. Well, in front of him at least. Oh and I'm Eve by the way. It's nice to meet somebody new and not be a total asshat."

Despite her choice of attire, Eve's smile could light up the whole room, Claire noted. "I'm not really new to Morganville, but I'm not an asshat. I'm teaching at the university for now," she corrected, her lips quirking up in a smile. Eve was definitely not boring, if her clothing didn't already say that.

"You've lived here before? I don't remember seeing you anywhere."

"I left about ten years ago to work somewhere else. Someone needed me to fill in a teaching position so here I am. Eve Rosser, right? If I may say, you're quite different than what I remember." She took a sip of her drink and sighed satisfactorily. Oliver knew what he was doing.

Eve smiled devilishly. "Different better mean good." Someone called her name, telling her to get back to work. "And that's my cue. Nice meeting you, Claire!" She whipped back around with a clink of silver chains and took charge of the coffee machines, taking care of orders steadily.

Claire made her way back to her table and took out her laptop, typing up plans for this semester. When she was finished, most had left in the safety of the sunlight. The few who remained were either vampires or Protected. Or simply foolish. A shadow loomed over her that prompted her to look up. Oliver sat down across from her.

They stared at each other for a few moments as Claire slowly sipped on the last dregs of coffee.

"Claire, why has Amelie called you back." A statement, not a question.

"Our Queen needs her _Läufer_."

By now, Oliver lost all semblance to 'nice, hippie dude' and became the Knight she knew well. Dark and deadly. "If you're here, then something has happened. What is it."

"I'm not so inclined to tell, Oliver. Time on the other hand…"

"Don't play me, vixen." There was a dangerously red gleam in his eyes.

"No games at all. Didn't you hear? I'm teaching Intro to Psychology at the university. Amelie gave me the position herself." Claire couldn't help but toy with him a while longer. Both of them knew Oliver wouldn't make a move. Not now.

He sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "You're wasting my time then. The shop is closing. I suggest you leave before I lock you in here."

Claire flashed him a fanged smile and threw the empty cup into the trash can, landing perfectly. "I wouldn't want to be bother. Good night, Knight."

She felt his stare boring holes into the back of her head as she left, the jingle of bells telling of her departure.

Morganville was definitely not the same anymore.

* * *

 **Läufer translates to 'messenger or runner' in German. It represents the bishop on the chess board.**

 **And there's that! As you can tell, I'm starting off from the beginning of the Morganville Vampire series. If I miss anything, don't hesitate to tell me and I'll try my best to fix it! I dearly wish for more fanfiction for these books, but they come few and far in between. Here's to my own fix.**

 **Also, R &R! I would love to hear your guy's opinions and thoughts.**

 **Updates are irregular at best, sorry! College sucks ass.**

 **-yourneighboyhoodhobo**


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